March 7, 2000
Princeton University
Interviewer: Brad Bailey, Graduate Student, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University

Bailey: Thank you for taking the time out to today to interview with me for this short time period, because I definitely wanted to get your opinion about a couple of different issues? First off, could you tell me why you are running for President again and how this time will be any different?
Nader: Well, the concentration of power in fewer and fewer hands especially through corporate globalization has systematically undermined our democracy, whether it's our access to justice, our voice before legislatures, [or] access to the media. Citizen groups are being shut out, they can't even do what they use to be able to do 20 -35 years ago, and there comes a time when the civil society being excluded and marginalized, across the board, has to move into the political arena, and that is what we are doing with the Green Party nomination for President. This will be different in a sense that we are going to have a serious campaign- raise money, develop a whole core of organizers around the country, put out a very unifying agenda, and basically people sovereignty over corporate sovereignty will be the theme.
Bailey: These days the internet is changing the political landscape like no other thing has done before in the past 25 years. Could you sort of explain to me how the Internet can be used to increase community activism and political participation and how you could see yourself using it in your campaign?
Nader: We are using it- our website is Vote Nader.com. Therefore, for example, people all over the country want to volunteer for the campaign- You see how easy it is, you send in an email, you fill out a form that's on the website. Imagine trying to do that by sending millions of letters out, or by trying to have paid advertisement- it's very difficult. The corporatization of the Internet proceeds, however, there are enough people in the Internet who communicate with one another to oppose it, so there will always be some space for civic activity. We've used it, to mobilize people against the international pharmaceutical industry, for example, and the AIDS issue in South Africa and the price of pharmaceuticals there. We've used it to mobilize people against something that the SEC was doing to privatize its information office. We're mobilizing it but it's not easy. It's a great information dissemination system. To actually mobilize it, it's still a cool medium, so to speak, but it's getting easier and easier, and we look forward to really major alliance on the Internet.
Bailey: Basically, how do you think you are going to appeal to a younger generation of voters, Generation X is this regard, who many consider as politically apathetic and not really caring about politics? How would you include them?
Nader: Well, you touch bases that they are concerned about. There isn't anybody in the country that doesn't have some sense of injustice, and if they do, then they have a sense of what's just. And you have a broad enough agenda where there is a place for everyone to pursue their injustices and remedy them. The important thing is to give young people responsibilities at an early age, and the other thing is to have a pattern of leadership that produces more leaders, not more followers. So people their age, they look at the world, and if you give them a broad enough frame of reference, they will look at the world and they will say, well, should we have solar energy more, should we save the oceans and the forests. Well, what about global infectious diseases?, what about global poverty? Pretty soon, they connect to missions that quicken their conscious and mobilize their own resolve to do something about it.
Bailey: Okay, and how do you then propose to push the issues of the Green Party into the mainstream.
Nader: I think it is in the mainstream, not the national media mainstream. If you look at their agenda, and poll them, there will be overwhelming support. For example, one of their issues deal with the environment, just look at the polls on that, strong really, not rhetorical. Another deals with social justice, another one deals with women's rights. Another one deals with public financing of public campaigns, and universal health care coverage. These are all majoritarian issues. They don't quite have the power that the HMO's and the oil companies ,and the coal companies, and the lobbyists, and the commercial side have, but in terms of just straight out polling- do you think this is a sensible way to move the country forward?- the Green Party agenda is right there.
Bailey: And the last question revolves around Princeton itself, and obviously you're an alumni here. Basically, my question is what do you think is the responsibility of schools like Princeton in educating future presidents, and in increasing community activism or political participation?
Nader: Well, I think they should have a Department of Civil Practice, that's what we have been urging. They have a department of chemistry, a department of philosophy, a dept of history, and the Woodrow Wilson School for Policy. There needs to be a dept. where students can major in how you get things done by practicing democracy. By developing the strategies and the tools for civic power. That is what is needed. Our country has huge problems on the one hand and solutions that aren't applied on the other. That gap is where a Dept. of Civil Practice would expose students to as a major and also in terms of clinical work in the community, bridging the classroom with the community. You would get a lot of leaders that way, just like we hope our Princeton Project '55 is giving opportunities for Princeton students and civic action groups all over the country to get a taste of what leadership is like.
Bailey: And Princeton Project 55 is basically in your words what? Could you describe that?
Nader: Princeton Class of '55 is an starting an independent organization right on Nassau St. that places dozens and dozens of Princeton juniors and senior in summer internships and full time jobs in groups all over the country. Actually, it's a very popular opportunity for students during the P-rade when the class of '55 crosses the graduating class they get the biggest applause.
Bailey: Well, I wanted to thank you much for your time today and I wish you good luck in your campaign.
Nader: Thank you very much
Bailey: Goodbye